Meet Penny Bernath | Master Aikido Sensei and Local PBS Personality

We had the good fortune of connecting with Penny Bernath and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Penny, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
The most important lesson my double career has taught me is to believe in myself. I have risen from an awkward female Aikido (Japanese Martial Art) student in the early 1970s to the highest ranking female in the United States Aikido Federation. And from a preschool teacher’s helper in the late 1980s to the Director of Education at South Florida PBS. Along both of those journeys were road blocks and obstacles. People that didn’t believe in me. That didn’t like my ideas, or who I was, that stepped in front of me. In Aikido it was about learning the art. It’s a hard art to learn. There is a lot of throwing and falling. A lot of physical punishment. As a woman I had to over come my own physical limitations and practice hard to even keep up with the men in the class, Eventually with time and a lot of effort facing the physical, the female, and the cultural boundaries set in front of me I persisted I did not give up on myself. I stood tall, Traveled to other schools around the world gaining technique and wisdom that only comes from experience. I trained and trained harder. In education I tackled the situation with education. I went to school, earned a bachelor degree, then a master’s degree and became an education specialist. Moving simultaneously from aide, to teacher, to administrator. Then connecting with PBS locally with an idea for an online preschool teacher professional development. This was 14 years ago when online was not at all popular, especially for early education. The university I attended turned it down as my doctorate research study. So I took it to PBS. PBS thought is was brilliant. I knew it was. And created KidVision PreK (http://www.KidVisionPrek.org ), Now with over 80,000 users and 15 million views on you-tube. And my own show, KidVision Mission on South Florida PBS stations. The lesson is clear believing in myself served me well.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am Penny Bernath, I would like to introduce you to Aikido. Aikido is a Japanese Martial Art. It involves throws, pins, and falls rather than kicks and punches. It is a beautiful and powerful art to watch and train in. It does not rely on static brute strength. It relies instead on the flexible strength of movement and the ultimate control of an attack in action. Aikido is two-fold, both learning how to throw and learning how to fall. That back and forth keeps it balanced. You learn the strength and empowerment of moving in to control an attack or stepping back to lead an attack, And also gain the strength and control of taking a fall after being thrown, with the intent of standing back up prepared for further confrontation. Aikido engages and energizes the body, mind and spirit.

I am 7th degree black belt, appointed by the main dojo in Tokyo Japan, only a small handful of women have achieved this title. I am very proud of it. I am also, a master teacher, called a Shihan, another title I have earned and am very proud of. And am the only female member of the United States Aikido Federation Technical Committee. The USAF Technical Committee is comprised of an advanced group of six members that are charged with the duty of teaching and spreading Aikido in it’s truest form. As a member of the committee I travel, teach and conduct testing. It is an honor and a daunting task. One that requires responsibility to the art form itself. I am happy to represent females. We are a growing force. It is a great martial art for women as it relies on the power of timing and movement. And men too, obviously. But from my own personal experience women have much more to deal with to advance in rank and respect, on and off the mat.

I started Aikido in 1973. A young woman that wanted to learn how defend herself. However, I was not athletic and in no way could see myself overpowering a man that was attacking me. Then I saw an Aikido demonstration in a park. It was my answer. I fell in love with the strength and power of the continuous movement. Not trying to overpower another but blend and lead with commitment. I began taking classes. I was a slow learner but determined to learn how to take care of myself and this was the way for me. I knew it. I wanted it. I sweated and cried and trained. Not only was the art a hardship, but being a woman on the mat was a hardship. Trying to get men to take me seriously. Not baby me or just flirt with me, but respect me as a person who was training to learn the art. Most of the time I was the only woman on the mat. So men took training with me as a break or instead would bully me because they could, they were stronger than me. I persisted. I fell down 7 times and got up 8 times, as they say.

I began to make friends and gain trust. I became involved in the organization of the dojo (Aikido school). My ultimate teacher, Yoshimitsu Yamada, a Japanese man who was an student of the founder of Aikido came into town. I was sent to pick him up and take care of him while he visited. We became, I can’t say friends, but it started a good teacher-student relationship. He recognized that I was competent at organizational skills. He had a dojo in New York and wanted to open a school here in Florida. He additionally was in the planning stages of creating the United States Aikido Federation and wanted to put on a large seminar where Aikido people would gather to train, talk about the art, it’s politics, and growth in the United States. He saw me as an loyal helper. So on the mat where it was hard to make gains, I found that off the mat I was able to step up and contribute to the art as an organizer. He sent a teacher, to teach at and open Florida Aikikai and asked me to run it. That teacher, Peter Bernath, eventually became my husband. And the seminar became an annual event. The largest Aikido seminar held annually since 1979. In those formative years Yamada Sensei took me with him to seminars around the world to see how others conducted themselves. These real life lessons were physically challenging. For him it was about me learning how to organize large groups coming from all parts of the world, for me it was about learning the art of Aikido. Both lessons were immeasurable.

I was held back from promotion. I think for two reasons, one that I was a woman and he didn’t think it was necessary, and the other that he did not want to show favoritism. This was both a blessing an a curse. I tried harder on the mat to prove myself. I took every class. He would follow me around the mat and be strict. I took it in and tried my best to be my best. It took years of pounding, as they say. Then one day he said to me, “You are like a good sword, you started out unfinished and dull, but after years of pounding you have become smooth and strong.” No one ever said anything more empowering than that!

Now, many years later, I am still training to be the best I can be. Florida Aikikai is one of the largest dojos in the United States. My husband and I co-own, both teach, and run it. We travel frequently together teaching and training. And travel separately doing the same. We continue to host the Florida Winter Seminar, the largest seminar held each year in the United States. Time, energy, commitment, love and desire are what moved me forward. * a note here – that the pandemic was a hardship and step back for all Aikido schools and those that practice Aikido. But we have survived, and see a light ahead.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Aikido is not all that I do. I am also the Education Director at South Florida PBS. As the Education Director I created a series called KidVision that features virtual field trips for young children so they can experience locations in our community and learn academics while enjoying the field trip. You can check them out on You-Tube, search for KidVision, and go on virtual field trips while planning your wonderful week in South Florida. If you are interested in gardens I would recommend Fairchild Gardens, they have a rainforest and a butterfly garden. Go to Jungle Island at night to see the light exhibits, they are amazing. Or to Zoo Miami, always great fun! If you like sports go to a Marlins game, a Heat game, or now we have Soccer! Interested in museums? We have the best in the world, check out the Frost Science Museum or the Preze Art Museum (PAMM). How about history? Go to Arch Creek Park and find out about the Tequesta Indians. But if music is your thing the New World Symphony will knock you out! In for a little activity? Go on an Everglades Air Boat ride, fly kites at Halover Beach or go kayaking at Pelican Harbor.
It will be a week you never forget!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have many people to thank for my success. My mom was my first mentor. She taught me to embrace being a woman. To be proud of myself. To straighten my back and stand tall. She loved me unconditionally, rights or wrongs, no matter what I did, I was loved. It gave me the strength when others turned sideways to me, I was Ok because I had the gift of unconditional love, true love.

My husband gets a shout out too. He and I opened our own Aikido School, Florida Aikikai (http://FloridaAikikai.com ), in 1980. We traveled often together to learn more Aikido. He supported me in times of trouble. And when being a woman was not the thing to be in a martial art, he kept me next to him not behind him.

And my children gave me the greatest lessons of all. When you are a mom there is more to life than just yourself. You have to learn how to share yourself in full. To be present in your own life and be extra present in theirs. My son, Kale, was an active baseball player and my daughter, Madison, was a champion baton twirler. Our house was non-stop. Everyone was busy learning and growing on their own individual paths. They are now both successful adults. No one can make you prouder than your own children. I have that! And I am thankful for them.

Website: http://www.FloridaAikikai.com and http://www.KidVisionPreK.org

Facebook: Florida Aikikai, KidVision PreK and KidVision Teachers Association

Youtube: Penny Bernath Aikido and https://m.youtube.com/c/WPBT2/playlists?view=50&sort=dd&shelf_id=3

Other: Check out KidVision produced by South Florida PBS on You-Tube

Image Credits
lead profile photo – Brad Edwards – brad-edwards.sumgmug.com other photos – Vanessa Castillo – vcvagency.com